N75139

On October 13, 2019, about 1215 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N75139, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Springtown, Texas. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to U.S. Aviation Group LLC and operated by U.S. Aviation Academy as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from Kezer Air Ranch Airport (61TE), Springtown, Texas, about 1200 and was destined for Denton Enterprise Airport (DTO), Denton, Texas.

The pilot, who was also a mechanic, stated that he was requested to go to 61TE to look at an airplane which had been involved in a loss of engine power event and forced landing the day before. His intention was to fly it back to DTO if it was safe to do so. He subsequently determined that the left fuel tank was empty, and the right fuel tank was full. He performed a pre-flight inspection which included taking a fuel sample from the right tank and the gascolator. No contamination was observed. After selecting the right fuel tank, the engine "started normally" and "ran smoothly." He taxied to the runup pad and conducted an "extensive run-up" looking for "any indication of [an] abnormality." All engine instrument indications were normal. After lining up on the runway, he advanced the throttle to takeoff power and held the brakes again looking for "any indication of [an] abnormality." With the engine running smoothly, he released the brakes. After takeoff, he circled the airport while climbing to 4,500 ft mean sea level before heading to DTO. About 10 miles north of 61TE, the engine "suddenly" lost power with no prior indication of a problem. He attempted to glide back to the departure airport, but the airplane did not have sufficient altitude. The airplane impacted a steel fence gate during the forced landing.

A postrecovery engine run did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an inability to produce rated power. The engine started without difficulty and ran smoothly at all power settings. A magneto check was unremarkable; each magneto exhibited an approximate 75 rpm drop. An examination of the fuel selector did not reveal any anomalies.